Sean (cartoonist)

Sean and Shawn were the pen-names of John Klamik (July 22, 1935 – January 5, 2005), an American artist specializing in gay male erotica and comics. His homosexually-themed cartoons were among the first to appear in US publications, including a regular feature in the early years of The Advocate.

Biography

Klamik was born on July 22, 1935 in Chicago, and studied at the Art Institute. He moved to West Hollywood, California in the mid 1960s.

Klamik worked under two pen-names: Shawn for more mainstream gay publications, and Sean for fetish publications such as Drummer and Bound & Gagged. His first erotic work was "published" in 1963, by taking photographs of the illustrations and making prints in home darkrooms. In the late 1960s, he began doing half-page comics for The Advocate under the title "Gayer Than Strange". Multi-page stories by him were regular features in Meatmen.

In 1965 he began a relationship with Jim Newberry; they remained companions until Klamik's death.